Indiana Governor Mike Pence and First Lady Karen Pence and their three children traveled to Ireland this past week to learn more about the family's Irish roots. Pence's grandfather, who later worked as a Chicago bus driver, emigrated to Ellis Island from Tubercurry, a town in County Sligo, Ireland in the early 1900s. His grandmother was born and raised in Doonbeg, a village in County Clare, Ireland. During their trip, the Pence family visited County Sligo, County Clare, and County Cork, where they kissed the Blarney Stone. The family in front of Blarney Castle. Photos provided by the Pence Family

The governor, his wife Karen, and their three children traveled to Ireland to explore their family heritage.

Pence's grandfather emigrated to Ellis Island from Tubercurry, Ireland, about a century ago and later worked as a bus driver in Chicago, according to the governor's staff. His grandmother was born and raised in Doonbeg, Ireland.

Their experiences left a lasting impression on Pence, who as a member of Congress sought looser immigration restrictions than many of his fellow conservatives liked.

But his trip was about family fun, not politics. While traversing the Emerald Isle, Pence and his family visited 600-year-old Blarney Castle - home to the stone - and stopped by Morrissey's Pub in Doonbeg, operated by extended family members.

The Pences also visited the small house where the governor's great-grandfather, James Moloney, was born. There, the governor had the luck to meet his grandmother's first cousin, 92-year-old Patrick Moloney.

Needing notice

Did Ivy Tech Community College skirt the state's public access law last week when its trustees debated president Tom Snyder's $60,000 bonus in a closed-door session?

The college sent out a notice of a closed meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. But trustee Richard Halderman told a reporter that an additional private discussion among board members over Snyder's performance bonus took place Thursday morning.

If that's the case, then public access counselor Joe Hoage says the community college may not have followed Indiana's open door law.

The law makes allowances for continuations of regular public meetings in some cases, but Hoage said that doesn't apply to closed-door sessions, with each meeting needing to be announced 48 hours ahead of time.

The Indianapolis Star received no such notice for a Thursday morning closed-door session and could not find one on Ivy Tech's website.

Ivy Tech spokesman Jeff Fanter said the trustees had to end the Wednesday closed-door session to attend an event.

"It was a simple oversight by the college regarding the Thursday morning session and the posting," he said.

Ultimately, trustees approved Snyder's bonus during their public meeting, as required by law.

A trio of Sagamores

Former IUPUI chancellor Gerald Bepko is racking up Sagamore of the Wabash awards, receiving his third on Friday from Republican Gov. Mike Pence.

The honorary award, one of Indiana's highest distinctions, recognized Bepko's leadership in higher education. He was chancellor of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis from 1986 to 2004. During his tenure, he grew enrollment and brought the Purdue School of Science, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology and the IU Herron School of Art to IUPUI.

Bepko is a current member of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and serves on a national colleges board for urban issues.

He can add this award to ones given to him by Democrat Govs. Frank O'Bannon and Evan Bayh.

A spirited lift

After being featured in The Indianapolis Star on Aug. 7, Greenwood ghost hunters Jill Beitz and Roger Pingleton have ridden a wave of media attention for their Spirit Story Box app which they say lets ghosts speak to the living via the iPhone.

The app now has been featured in USA Today, The Huffington Post and Britain's The Daily Mail. The 99-cent app saw downloads push it as high as No. 54 overall in terms of sales in the App Store.

"We hit the top of the charts all because of the publicity," Beitz said in an email. "The fact that it is controversial and upsetting people just drives more sales."